Waltershausen

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Waltershausen
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Location of Waltershausen within Gotha district
Waltershausen in GTH.svgAspachGoldbachHainaHochheimHohenkirchenHörselLauchaOhrdrufSchwabhausenTonnaWesthausen
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Waltershausen
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Waltershausen
Coordinates: 50°53′51″N10°33′21″E / 50.89750°N 10.55583°E / 50.89750; 10.55583 Coordinates: 50°53′51″N10°33′21″E / 50.89750°N 10.55583°E / 50.89750; 10.55583
Country Germany
State Thuringia
District Gotha
Government
   Mayor (201824) Michael Brychcy [1] (CDU)
Area
  Total71.20 km2 (27.49 sq mi)
Elevation
320 m (1,050 ft)
Population
 (2020-12-31) [2]
  Total12,712
  Density180/km2 (460/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
99880
Dialling codes 03622
Vehicle registration GTH
Website www.waltershausen.de

Waltershausen is a town in the south-western part of the district of Gotha in the state of Thuringia, Germany.

Contents

Geography

Geographic location

Located on the verge of the Thuringian Basin just before the Thuringian Forest, Waltershausen is sometimes referred to as the "gate to the Thuringian Forest".

It is close to the Großer Inselsberg, the fourth-highest mountain in the state.

Town structure

The town is divided into the seven districts of Fischbach, Schmerbach, Schwarzhausen, Winterstein, Wahlwinkel, Schnepfenthal and Langenhain.

Incorporations

On July 1 in 1950, Langenhain, Schnepfenthal-Rödichen as well as Wahlwinkel became parts of Waltershausen. 63 years later, on December 31 in 2013, the district of Emsetal (consisting of Fischbach, Schmerbach, Schwarzhausen and Winterstein) was incorporated into the town.

History

The origin of the town's name can be traced back to the 8th-9th century when, during Franconian times, a settlement called Waltershausen existed. In 1167, the town's landmark Tenneberg Castle was first mentioned in a document. [3]

The first documentary mention of Waltershausen itself dates back to 1209, precisely under the name of „Ulricus, villicius de Waltherißhusin“. It was then a part of the county of Mühlburg under the electorate of Mainz. From 1640 onwards, Waltershausen, then a subordinate to the Amt Tenneberg, became a part of the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

In the early nineteenth century, Waltershausen established its tradition of being a "city of dolls" due to the high number of toy and specifically doll factories in the area. In 1990, however, the industrial production of dolls came to an end.

In 1929, the Thuringian forest railway was extended to Waltershausen, thus providing a direct connection to Bad Tabarz and Gotha.

During World War II, on February 6 in 1945, Waltershausen was among several regional towns to be hit by an attack of U.S. Forces. 12 bombers dropped a total of 120 bombs on the town, causing the destruction of 21 buildings as well as 20 casualties.

Culture

Landmarks and sights

Sports

Waltershausen offers a variety of sports clubs competing on high levels. Karate athletes of Bushido Waltershausen regularly compete on the national and international stage and have won numerous titles over the years. [5] The town is also a well-known host of regional as well as national table tennis competitions. Its central sports club, ZSG Waltershausen consists of 12 different sports departments. [6]

Media

There are two renowned radio stations in Waltershausen. In 2009, the online radio channel 0800 Radio Tenneberg went on air with daily coverage. Four years later, TMR-radio.de launched, providing recent news and a variety of music. [7]

Recurring events

Waltershausen's Christmas market Christmas Market in Waltershausen.jpg
Waltershausen's Christmas market

The town's biggest event is the annual town fair, taking place in mid-July under a different motto each year. Another recurring event is the medieval castle fair at the beginning of each September.

In December, usually on the weekend of second advent, the annual Christmas market takes place in front of the town hall. A day before Carnival's Monday, a traditional Carnival's parade has been held in Waltershausen for over 25 years.

Religion

There are a total of seven churches and chapels in Waltershausen and its surrounding districts. With the exception of a Catholic chapel established during the 20th century in the town, all of the religious institutions are of Protestant Christianity.

In 1993, Waltershausen became an ecclesiastical administrative center as chair of the Protestant-Lutheran church association of Waltershausen-Ohrdruf. [8]

Infrastructure

Industry

The local economy is highly dependent on its industrial institutions. There are several companies located in or around Waltershausen. One of the most significant examples is a factory by Hako GmbH, where multifunctional equipment transporters called Multicars are being produced.

Rockinger, a trailer hitch producing company, has a factory as well as its headquarters in the town. ContiTech, a subsidiary of Continental, also settled in Waltershausen with one of its factories. [9]

Public transport

Thuringer Waldbahn Thuringer Waldbahn. Reinhardsbrunn Bahnhof.2.ajb.jpg
Thüringer Waldbahn

Due to its proximity to the highway A4 and its own entry to one of Germany's most significant highways connecting Frankfurt and Dresden, Waltershausen is well-connected to the surrounding cities of Eisenach, Gotha as well as Erfurt. The highway is also the gateway to various other parts of Germany, making Waltershausen a very central and easily accessible place from a national perspective.

One of the best-known public transport mediums in the area is the Thüringer Waldbahn  [ de ], connecting Waltershausen to Gotha and Bad Tabarz. Its traditional and nostalgic concept have made it popular beyond the town's border, attracting even non-local tourists.

There are buses and a train line operating in Waltershausen as well.

Education

Waltershausen currently has two primary schools, a secondary school as well as the Salzmannschule Schnepfenthal, a high school focussing on foreign language education. [10]

External relations

Sister cities

International:

National:

Notable people

Hans Kehr in 1902 Kehr.JPG
Hans Kehr in 1902

Related Research Articles

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Eisenach Town in Thuringia, Germany

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Hopfenberg (Waltershausen)

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Ohra Dam Dam in Landkreis Gotha

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Hornungskuppe

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References

  1. Gewählte Bürgermeister - aktuelle Landesübersicht, Freistaat Thüringen, accessed 14 July 2021.
  2. "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden, erfüllenden Gemeinden und Verwaltungsgemeinschaften in Thüringen Gebietsstand: 31.12.2020". Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik (in German). June 2021.
  3. "Stadt Waltershausen:: Unsere Stadt und ihre Ortsteile:: Waltershausen:: Geschichte". www.waltershausen.de. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  4. "1730 Tobias-Heinrich-Gottfried-Trost Organ - OrganArt Media". www.organartmedia.com. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  5. "Bushido Waltershausen - Erfolge / Presse / Ergebnisse". www.bushidowaltershausen-sport.de (in German). Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  6. "ZSG Gruen-Weiss Waltershausen". www.zsg-waltershausen.de. Retrieved 2019-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. "TMR Radio". www.tmr-radio.de. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  8. "Ev.-Luth. Kirchenkreis Waltershausen". www.evangelisch-in-waltershausen.de. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  9. WELT (2015-06-22). "ContiTech übernimmt Nachbar-Firma in Waltershausen" . Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  10. "Salzmannschule Schnepfenthal". salzmannschule.de. Retrieved 2019-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)